High-magnification telephoto spectacles for age-related macular degeneration

Abstract

A ophthalmic lens system comprising an intraocular lens adapted for implantation in the eye and spectacles. The intraocular lens has a negative IOL portion. The spectacles include a positive lens system for directing light toward the negative lens portion of the intraocular lens. The positive lens system includes a positive lens and a negative lens, with the negative lens being located posteriorly of the positive lens.

We claim: 
     
       1. An ophthalmic lens system comprising: an intraocular lens adapted for implantation in the eye and having a negative intraocular lens portion; and   spectacles including a telephoto lens system comprising a positive lens and a negative lens, said negative lens being located posteriorly of the positive lens.   
     
     
       2. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein the positive lens and the negative lens are the only refracting elements of the lens system which have a power other than unity. 
     
     
       3. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein the positive lens and the negative lens are axially spaced and the positive lens system includes means for adjusting such axial spacing. 
     
     
       4. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein the spectacles include a spectacle frame and means for mounting the positive and negative lenses on the spectacle frame in axial alignment with each other. 
     
     
       5. A system as defined in claim 4 wherein the positive lens and the negative lens are axially spaced and the positive lens system includes means for adjusting such axial spacing without varying a vertex distance by which the negative lens is spaced from an anterior surface of the eye. 
     
     
       6. An ophthalmic lens system comprising: an intraocular lens adapted for implantation in the eye and having a negative intraocular lens portion;   spectacles including a telephoto lens system adapted to be located outside the eye and including a plurality of lenses each having a power other than unity; and   said spectacles including a spectacle frame and means for mounting said plurality of lenses on the spectacle frame.   
     
     
       7. A system as defined in claim 6 wherein said plurality of lenses includes axially spaced anterior and posterior lenses and the telephoto lens system includes means for adjusting the axial spacing of the anterior and posterior lenses without varying a vertex distance by which the posterior lens is spaced from an anterior surface of the eye. 
     
     
       8. An ophthalmic lens system comprising: an intraocular lens adapted for implantation in the eye;   spectacles including a first telephoto lens system adapted to be located outside the eye and including a plurality of lenses each having a power other than unity; and   said intraocular lens being adapted to cooperate with said telephoto lens system of the spectacles to provide a second telephoto lens system.   
     
     
       9. A method for obtaining optical magnification with a reduced vertex distance comprising passing light through an external telephoto lens system which includes multiple lenses carried outside an eye by a spectacle frame and then through a negative intraocular lens portion located within the eye. 
     
     
       10. A method as defined in claim 9 wherein the telephoto lens system includes positive and negative lenses and the step of passing includes passing the light through the positive lens and then through the negative lens.